McClurg's Home Remodeling Blog

We worked with a Skaneateles, NY couple to build their lakefront dream home that has many special Universal Design features. These features are so subtle that you may not recognize them, but would admire the home for its smart, efficient and practical design. The transitional design of the home is perfect for the owners and very accommodating when they get together with friends and family.

A kitchen is the hub of activity in every home. New appliances and gadgets have changed the way we cook and equip our kitchens. The emergence of cable television and the Food Network influences the way we prepare meals and the décor we choose for our kitchens. We are also growing more conscious of the environment and the way we use natural resources.

The owners of our Project of the Month home considered some of these trends when they remodeled the kitchen in their 1930s-era bungalow-style home.

A deck addition built onto a raised ranch home in a suburban Syracuse, NY neighborhood provides an outdoor living space for entertaining, grilling and dining. The elevated deck was part of the homeowner’s master plan for a complete home renovation.

One of the primary reasons homeowners decide to remodel a kitchen is to gain more storage space. New small appliances, food products, gadgets and items used for cooking and entertaining have changed storage needs over the past 30 years.

The owners of a cottage located on Canandaigua Lake enjoy entertaining family and friends. To optimize the time they spend at the lake, they asked us to design and build a lakefront porch addition with some unique features that allow them to extend the season. This challenging project took six months to complete and was started just as the snow was melting in March. The new outdoor living space includes many amenities such as a gas fueled pizza oven and grill, bar sink and refrigerator, and a wood-burning outdoor fireplace.

The kitchen is the heart of a home. It’s important that the space meets the needs of the people who live there. Our Project of the Month is a 15-by-26 foot kitchen with dark oak cabinets that was redesigned to function more efficiently for an active family of five in Fayetteville, NY.

The owners of a Weedsport, NY home with a large kitchen found that the space was not efficient. There was a corner with inaccessible storage space camouflaged by a curtain, a range that did not provide adequate capacity for baking, insufficient counter space for food prep and, while the kitchen had an ample pantry, there was not enough functional storage.

The owners of a summer cottage on Skaneateles Lake enjoy the season and entertaining family and friends on a deck that overlooks the clear blue water and provides space for dining, grilling and gathering. The composite decking they selected is easy to care for and will withstand cold Central New York winters.

The owners of a split-level ranch-style home built in 1977 wanted to remodel their kitchen and adjacent dining room for entertaining family members, especially grandchildren. The original kitchen was dark and closed in by a wall that separated the space from the dining area. The kitchen had a U-shaped configuration with a narrow work aisle that constricted the flow of traffic in the room when the family gathered together for holidays and special occasions. Lighting was dim and appliances were outdated.